Used Truck You Should Think at Least Twice About

While there are millions of used trucks on the market that would make a great choice as your next truck to give you the function and versatility you want, there are some that you should either think twice about and consider the pros and cons or avoid them altogether.

This can be due to a safety design, which can be a serious problem or it can be due to reliability issues.  It’s important whenever you’re dealing with used cars. Customer reviews of these trucks along with their reputations and maintenance records have given us a list of trucks that you should approach with some form of caution.

2011 Dodge Ram 1500

This may be a surprise right out of the gate as the Ram is typically one of the best trucks on the market.  This particular model year with the V6 engine did not give much benefit over the V8 option.  In fact the V6 made the truck underpowered overall and limited your capability.  This particular model also only received three stars from the NHTSA and two stars for the front crash rating.  The Ram 1500 is typically a great truck to own, just avoid 2011 and you should be fine.

2004-2005 Chevrolet Colorado

This was the first two model years for this truck and most vehicles have unforeseen issues in their first or second year in existence.  With the Colorado there were way too many.  Consumers reported problems with the air conditioning system, brakes, electrical systems, engine problems and a variety of issues that caused the check engine light to be on nearly constantly.  As a design and build the Colorado was a home run and makes a great choice, but if you want one it would be wide to steer clear of these model years.  There are many used Colorados on the market from later years to give you some excellent performance.

Ford Trucks with the 5.4-liter Engine

Sometimes it is one particular engine that can cause the problems and this can be costly to change out.  The 5.4-liter three-valve engine was used on Ford trucks from 2004 until 2010 without changes and has proven to develop issues.  These issues include camshaft phaser p problems that show up when the engine reaches above 100,000 miles.  This translates to a loss of power and an engine that runs rich and burns fuel much more than it otherwise would.  The full repair for this can be costly.  Ford trucks are typically exceptional performers, but avoid this engine when looking for a used Ford.

2008-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT

As the Chevrolet Avalanche has been a great performer in its build, but didn’t last because it was too expensive, the Escalade EXT is worse.  Simply put this vehicle is rebadged from the Avalanche and given luxury features to go along with the increase in price.  This and the Avalanche just aren’t practical when asked to perform actual truck duties.  You are much better off choosing a full size pickup truck if you need a truck to do truck things.

2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR

Although this vehicle looks cool and many loved it the SSR does not have any real functionality.  If you want a truck that will be a truck this is not the choice you want.  If you want a vehicle that looks different from most things on the road today, knock yourself out, this can be a good choice.  The SSR does have a truck-like ride and can only tow up to 2,500 pounds which adds to its limitations, so before you purchase this vehicle, make sure you understand the full limits it has in regards to function and driving.

Obviously many of these five trucks were sold when they were built otherwise there wouldn’t be used models for you to consider.  In the cases that require fixing or safety (the Ram, the Colorado, and the Ford engine) you may want to just steer clear.  With the Escalade and the SSR if the vehicle fits your lifestyle, there is nothing wrong with these purchases, but you need to know what you are getting into and what to not expect from them.  Be cautious in your purchase, do some research, and make sure you have the right truck for your needs.